Vijayawada (BZA): While an announcement of a new Railway Zone for Andhra Pradesh is expected shortly, locals and unions have launched a movement for securing the railway zone to Vijayawada-Guntur stretch, where the new Capital Amaravathi is coming up.

Demanding that the new railway zone be established on Vijayawada-Guntur stretch, the railway unions warned that any decision to locate the railway zone at Visakhapatnam would send wrong signals to people and could cause a huge disappointment.

It might be noted that the announcement of a new railway zone for the State has been caught in a political bind with the BJP making it as a prominent electoral promise in Visakhapatnam. The locals there also expect an announcement on the new railway zone during the visit of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday.

“We urge the Union government not to pay heed to petty political considerations while announcing the location of a new railway zone. The new railway zone should be established at the capital and railway connectivity between Amaravathi and Hyderabad, the two capitals, should be improved by doubling Nallapadu-Bibinagar on a war-footing,” said Avadhunula Hari, additional secretary, Railway Mazdoor Union (RMU).

Batting for delinking politics from administration of railways, he demanded that the Union government implement promises made in Schedule 13 (Infrastructure) of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act-2014 within six months of the division of the State.

The new railway zone should be established in the vicinity of the proposed New Capital of Andhra Pradesh viz. Amaravathi which is geographically convenient to all wherein the two unique capitals i.e. Amaravathi and Hyderabad. This also paves the way for doubling of Nallapadu-Bibinagar stretch on a war-footing; said Avadhunula Hari, Additional Secretary, Railway Mazdoor Union